Speed Comparisons Beyond The Universe

Conner Ching, 11th Grader || 11.05.18

One of the most bustling questions we receive in this world in technology is “What are some of the fastest phenomena in this world, and how do they compare with each other?” Well, the fastest person in the world went 100 meters in 9.58 seconds which is 23 mph if he can maintain this speed consistently for a mile, but the 3rd fastest animals include the cheetah that can go 70 mph. Although we may not be able to beat animals physically, we might be able to beat them other ways, by using engineering/mechanics.

First off, let’s compare the fastest water slide with a fish, The fastest water slide is name the Insano. It is about 41 meters high and is about the height of a 14 stories high building. Because of its height and slope it can reach about 65 mph! Now the fastest fish is a Sailfish, a sailfish looks similar to a swordfish because of its long bill. The sailfish can go about 70mph, easily outrunning a typical car on a freeway. Nature wins this round.

Secondly, we’re comparing the fastest wind and the fastest manned plane. The fastest wind was scaled up to 318 mph during a tornado in Oklahoma. The scientists say that it was put up to F6 in the fujita scale, and the maximum of the Fujita scale is F5!! Now, the first manned plane was driven by a lot of people, but Pete Knight was the first to go make it go near the speed that of which, 318 MPH. This rocket-powered aircraft was tested in the early 1960’s. Its fastest speed ever recorded was up to 4,519 mph and it might have been able to faster. Obviously humans win in this one by a long shot.

Humans are obviously faster than nature on earth, but what about in space? NASA has made a spacecraft named New Horizon to send off to Pluto and study its moons. When it was ejected into the solar system it went an amazing 36,360 mph!

However, there are particles even light cannot match in speed, Tachyons. Tachyons are particles that can go faster than the speed of light. It was first discovered by a physicist named Arnold Sommerfeld. The tachyon’s strange structure makes it go faster when it loses energy and slower when it gains energy. (Its slowest speed is that of light!)

Although, nature won the fight 2-1 the sailfish could had been easily be beaten by the fastest car, train, and etc. But even everything combined in on earth can’t beat these particles that can go over light speed. In essence, this tells us that the diverse comparison between abnormal particles, light, organisms, and other unknown objects may never come to an end. Our knowledge limits us to the many phenomena of speed yet to be discovered.